Ann “Donna” Lee Wright, née Ferris, of Laurel, Delaware, passed away on August 8, 2026, at the age of 81 after a brief battle with lung cancer. She spent her final days surrounded by her immediate family and lovingly cared for in her daughter’s home in Alexandria, Virginia.

A native of Washington, D.C., Donna was born on Christmas Eve in 1944, the first child of Earle and Dolores Ferris. She attended Buchanan and Bunker Hill elementary schools, Taft Junior High School, and St. Anthony’s Catholic School. Donna spent her childhood first near 10th and C Streets SE and later near 18th and Taylor Streets NE, surrounded by her parents, her younger sister, Mary “Cissy,” and her grandmother, Myrtle “Sweetie Pie” Powell.

In 1964, Donna met Larry Weiner, whom she later married. Larry’s service in the U.S. Army soon took them to Verona, Italy, where their son, Bryndyn Eastman, was born in 1966. After returning to the United States and settling in Bethesda, Maryland, they welcomed their daughter, Olivia Shannon, in 1970. Following their divorce, Donna moved with Bryndyn and Shannon to Greenbelt, Maryland, where they lived from 1973 to 1978.

In 1981, while working at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Donna met the love of her life, Robert “Bob” Wright of Casey, Iowa. They married in 1983 and made their home in Fairfax, Virginia, with their blended family, which included Donna’s daughter, Shannon, and Bob’s sons, Aaron and Eric. In 2004, Donna and Bob moved into their dream log cabin in Laurel, Delaware. Much of Donna’s life was spent hand in hand with her devoted husband.

Free-spirited and fearless, Donna embraced adventure throughout her life. She lived in Italy, camped across the Balkans in the 1960s with her toddlers in tow, participated in folk music and dance, briefly moved to Maine in the late 1970s, and traveled throughout the country with Bob in their RV, including a memorable journey to Alaska.

Donna’s family always came first, and she often put their needs before her own. Selfless and compassionate, she championed the underdog and cared deeply for her friends, offering support without judgment or hesitation. She found joy in simple comforts and expressed her creativity through gardening, painting, refinishing furniture, and home-improvement projects. She shared her home with a beloved menagerie of pets, enjoyed reading—especially the work of May Sarton—and loved playing cards, board games, and Wii bowling with her grandchildren. Donna treasured visits with relatives in Adair, Iowa, and Eastport, Maine, where she enjoyed what she considered the best lobster rolls in the world. She also delighted in British murder mysteries, canal-boat travel programs, and steamed Maryland blue crabs. Her encyclopedic knowledge of family history came alive whenever she opened old photo albums and reminisced about her childhood.

Donna was preceded in death by her mother, Dolores, who died in 1973 at age 49; her beloved grandmother, “Sweetie Pie,” who died in 1986 at age 88; and her father, affectionately known as “Papa,” who died in 2010 at age 88. She is survived by her loving husband, Bob Wright; her sister, Mary Caraker; her son, Bryndyn Weiner; her daughter, Shannon Marshall; her son-in-law, Dan Marshall; her stepsons, Aaron and Eric Wright; her grandchildren, Alek and Leyla Weiner; and her nephew, Matthew Caraker. Her adventurous spirit, generous heart, and devotion to family will live on in all who knew and loved her.

In keeping with Donna’s wishes, she will receive a green burial. A private funeral service for family will be held on August 15, 2026.